Denver Museum of Nature & Science Hosts Mammoth and Mastodon Madness Day on Saturday, November 20

Ice Age Celebration is Free with Museum Admission

The Denver Museum of Nature & Science is hosting a MAMMOTH
celebration in Denver! Visit the Museum on Saturday, November 20,
for a day of family fun, Ice Age style. See some of the
actual bones recently unearthed in Snowmass Village during their
last public viewing before they undergo preservation. Touch a
mammoth and mastodon tooth from the Museum's education collections.
Participate in a scavenger hunt, dig for bones, test how people
measure up to these massive beasts, and enjoy Ice Age games,
puzzles, crafts, and more.

BACKGROUND INFO
The site at Ziegler Reservoir near Snowmass Village is one of the
most significant fossil discoveries in Colorado history. In recent
weeks, crews uncovered a well-preserved high-altitude Ice Age
ecosystem and excavated the bones of Columbian mammoths, American
mastodons, Ice Age bison, a Jefferson ground sloth, Ice Age deer, a
salamander, snails, insects, and abundant plant material-some of
which is still green after tens of thousands of years.

Work at the dig site has stopped for the winter; however, this
project is in its early stages. Next, Museum scientists, with the
assistance of outside experts, will begin the long work of
preserving the specimens, studying them, analyzing samples, and
writing their findings for publication in scientific
journals.

As the analysis unfolds in the coming months, the Museum will
continue to provide updates about these spectacular discoveries.
Museum crews hope to return to the dig site in May to continue
excavating and conducting scientific research on the site. During
the winter, Museum scientists will work with the Snowmass Water and
Sanitation District to map out a plan for the spring. For
additional information, visit /science/the-snowmastodon-project.